Cable-laying implement.



APATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

'w'. o. STEVENS. CABLE LAYING IMPLEMENT. APPLICATION FILED vSEPTA. 1903. BENEWBD J'ULY 11.19.04.

w/TNESSES.'

- UNTTED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

PATENT f OFFICE..

CABLE-LAWNe.1 I'MPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,568, dated January 31, 1905. Application filed September l, 1908. Renewed Jnly'll, 1904. Serial No. 216.055. 4

'To all whom, it 11m/,y concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER CLARENCE STEVENS, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, and a resident of Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented anew and Improved Cable-Laying Implement, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description.

This-invention relates to improvements in implements for laying electric cables or con-` ductors either on the surface or below the surface of the ground, an object being to provide a device of this character by means of which cables or the like maybe quickly laid 4and covered when under ground, thus making the device particularly useful' in military operations and for private and municipal uses. y

l will describe ,a cable-laying implement embodyingmy invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

v elevation showing the arrangement of the im-` plement when laying the cable or the like on the ground surface. A

The implement comprises a beam 1, having its forward end curved upward, as indicated, so that it may be readilydrawn over the 'surface of the ground, and this end is also provided Witha hook 2, to which a draft-chain or the like may be attached. Attached to the rear upwardly-projecting end of the beam are handles 3, which between their upper and lower ends are rigidly connected to the beam by` means of a frame consisting of side hars 4, which at the forward ends are curved downward to connect with said beam. These side bars 4 have bearings 5 for a rod 6, on which a reel 7 may be placed to rotate.

Adjustable vertically through an opening in the plow-beam is a trenching blade or plowA 8, the lower end of which at the `front is provided with an inclined cutting-tooth 9. By making the trenching-blade adjustable vertically it is obvious that may be regulated for any desired depth 4of trench within certain limits, and it may be held as adjusted by means of bolts 10, passing through openings in the beam and th rough openings in the blade. Supported in the-beam forward of the blade Sis a sod-cutting disk- 11. 'llhe upper portion of this cutting-disk 11 lprojects into a recess formed in the under side of the beam, and rearward of the blade 8 is a coveringroller, 12, the length of which is substantially..

equal to the width of the beam. Adjustable vertically through the beam just rearward of the lblade 8` is a guide for the cable to be laid. As here shown, this guide consists of a tube lhaving a funnel-shaped top 14 and a rearwardly-curved lower end. This lower end, it will be understood, when the machine is in operation will be substantially on a plane with the lower end o'f the blade 8. The

guide maybe held as adjusted with the cutter A by means of a set-nut 1 5 on the guide and engaging in a slot inthe back upper corner of the plow or cutter 8.- l

In operation as the implement is drawn over the ground the disk 11 will cut through the sod or hard upper surface of the ground, so that the following blade 8 may readily cut the vtrench to the required depth.

tor will be fed ofi' of the reel and passed through the guide to the bottom of the trench. 'Il he roller 12, following the guide, will forcethe loose dirt back into` the trench. thus eifectually hiding or covering the cable. ln some instances it may be desired to lay the cable on the surface of the ground. ln such case obviously the blade isto be elevated, so as not to engage with the ground. For this purpose the rear ends of the side bars 4 are extended rearward of the handles P and are provided with bearings 16 to receive the axle of wheels 17.

Then it is desired to place a new reel of cable'or the like in place, the rod or shaft 6 may be drawn out to remove the old reel and then passed through the new reel.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A cable-laying implement, comprising a beam, a vertically-adjustable trench-cutting As the implement moves along the cable or other yconduc- IOC .blade carried by said beam, a vertieallyad#4 g instable cable-guide rearward ofthe blade, and

means for supporting a reel'above the beam.

A cableelaving implement comprising a beam', a sod-cutting disk carried by saidbeam, a trench-Cutting blade carried by the-beam rearward of the sod-cutter, a eable-guide carried by the beam rearwardof the said blade, the said bllade and guide being vertically adjustable, and means Jfor supporting a cable-reel abovethe beam.

3. A cable-laying implement comprising a beam, a sod-cutting disk carried by the beam, a vertically-adjustable trench-cutting blade carried by the beam rearward of the sod-cutter, a covering-roller rearward of `the blade,

a cable-guide between said eoveringr0ller and the blade, and means for supporting a reel above the beam.

4. A cable-laying implement comprising a beam, a sod-cutter carried by said beam, a trenching-blade carried by said beam and adjustable vertically therein, a guide-tube carried by the beam `and having its lower end curved rearward, a covering-roller rearward 25 'connecting said handles with the beam,the

said bars having bearings for a reel, supporting-rod bearings on rearwardly-extended-portions of said side bars, and supporting-wheels the axle of which is designed for engaging in ysaid rear bearings.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subseribing witnesses.

` j WALTER CLARENCE STEVENS.

Witnesses: A. C. STEARNS,

ARTHUR HILL. 

